Sorry that it's been a while. I had so much happen all at once and then I my computer crashed AGAIN! I'm borrowing a netbook until I can figure out what happened to my laptop.
Yugi: Until PhantomBrat can access a different computer, any line breaks will be marked with LINE.
Ryou: Updates may also be slow in the near future.
Malik: And even then there might be a few issues in updating as she is still trying to figure out how to use OpenOffice.
*Whines* I WANT WORD BACK!
Bakura: *Evil laughter* I like when someone's miserable.
*Several Dragons and Spellcasters appear from Monster Binder to attack Bakura* Sic him.
Bakura runs screaming for mercy
Ryou: ~.~ Pathetic.
Bakura: *Faintly* Ryou HELP ME!
Ryou: ~.~
*^*^*^Story^*^*^*
Yugi woke up after his afternoon nap, feeling uneasy. He found Atemu in the library and approached him. Before the Hikari could say a word, his ancestor turned to look at him, "Is everything alright, Young One?"
Yugi shook his head, "I feel funny. Almost like my stomach is upset, but it's not."
"You may be experiencing some abilities that were obtained from when your body was turned into a Shadow-wraith." Atemu noticed that Yugi was terrified. "Do not worry, this is something that can be controlled. With the proper training, you can use it much like your animal form. Until then, I will train you."
Atem burst into the room, "There's been a sighting of the 'Abductor'. This vamp prefers children and needs to be taken down."
"Training begins when we return," Atemu stated. On the way to the site, he filled Atem in on their conversation.
LINE
Yugi, Ryou, and Malik were given the task to lure a vamp out into the open. Yugi pulled out a bag of marbles and some chalk, "Want to do something while we wait for the target?"
"What other games do you have," Malik asked.
"I've got some of Yami's old playing cards," he replied. "Unfortunately, they're from several different packs. I guess Marik has an issue with losing games because there were several cards in each deck that had been painted over with black paint and then signed in white gel pen."
"At least you don't have to worry about which card to use for 'Old Maid'," Ryou pointed out.
Yugi laughed, "You're right about that."
The boys settled on the cards, playing until the wind picked up. "Quick! Get the cards," Malik cried out as the stack was blown across the ground.
Atem showed up as they located the last card, "We're calling it a night. Tea called and said that we have a storm coming in and you three need to have your third of a pint before bed."
LINE
"That rain's freezing, Yami," Yugi complained as they entered the mansion.
Tea appeared and tossed each of them a thick towel, "Go and get out of those wet clothes. I'm not sure if it's possible for hikaris to get sick, but I know that the others on the team can."
"It is possible for us to get ill," Ryou spoke up. "We sort of found out the hard way. I caught a cold from some passerby. Malik and Yugi got it from me while they were trying to take care of me."
Malik nodded, "Ryou and I had to steal some medication that was listed in a medical handbook that we had lifted weeks before, for Yugi when I was well enough to leave our shelter."
"Well, then go upstairs and get into some warm clothes," Tea ordered.
The three hikaris dashed up the stairs to their rooms, nearly running into Duke and Tristan. "Yugi Mutou, Ryou Bakura, and Malik Ishtar," Duke called out. "No running up the stairs! And watch where you're going!"
"Sorry," Malik called down the stairs. "We're freezing and Tea told us to get out of our wet clothes! You know how she is when anyone gets sick!"
LINE
After dinner, Atemu led Yugi into the training room and locked the doors. "Before we begin, Yugi," he started, "I want you to clear your mind and allow me to start the change for you. It will take a few tries before you can do this at will."
Yugi nodded, knowing that Atemu wouldn't do something dangerous to him or allow him to harm others by accident. He closed his eyes and began to clear his thoughts. Atemu began the process as soon as the Hikari vampire's breathing slowed and his body was relaxed. Shadows began to climb over his small frame, engulfing him in darkness. When it was over, Yugi was shrouded in darkness. His eyes opened, revealing red. Before he could attack from instinct, Atemu held up his hand and summoned an unbreakable cage. "Young One, fight the Darkness and remember yourself. If you can overcome it now, it will submit to your will at all times."
Yugi let out a nearly earsplitting shriek, trying to attack his ancestor. The bars held firm as the small 'teen' crashed into the cage. "Yugi! Listen to me! You can beat this! Think of your brother and grandfather! If you let the Darkness win now, you could destroy the ones you love," Atemu called out over the noise.
Suddenly things went silent. The form in the cage had collapsed on the ground. It opened its eyes, revealing what Atemu had hoped for…Yugi's familiar amethyst color glowing in place of the angry red. *Atemu?* There was a bit of an echo in the young Hikari's mind-speak.
He nodded, "You did it, Young One. You beat the instincts of the Shadow-wraith. Now think of your normal appearance."
Yugi did as instructed and the Shadows slowly dissipated, leaving behind the familiar Hikari. Atemu had Yugi repeat the process of calling and dismissing the wraith form until he could do it on his own.
LINE
After Yugi's first training session, the hikari fell asleep in one of the oversized chairs, apparently exhausted from the exercises Atemu had put him through.
Atem noticed this a gently carried Yugi to his room and placed the sleeping hikari in the bed. Yugi stirred, "Yami?"
"Yes Yugi?"
"Thanks for taking us in when you caught us."
"You're my brother Yugi," he pointed out, "besides any vampire that managed to abstain from taking a life is supposed to be given a chance. You three just happened to have fallen into that particular category."
"You're the best brother ever. I'm glad that we found each other." Yugi's last words faded into a very faint whisper as he fell back to sleep.
Yami covered his younger brother before leaving Yugi's room. He could not get over the fact that while Yugi was his twin, the hikari had moments where he seemed to be sixteen especially when he was exhausted. Lost in his thoughts, he nearly ran into Duke.
"How's the kid," Duke asked him.
Atem glanced back to Yugi's room, "He's tired and probably overdid it earlier today."
LINE
The next morning…
Duke noticed that Yugi had once again fallen asleep at the table, using his arms for a pillow, "Is Yugi feeling ok?"
Atem looked at his twin, "He probably had a rough night. Yugi, you need to wake up for a bit."
Yugi opened his eyes and raised his head, "Wha? Sorry, bad dreams kept me up again. And I hurt all over. Yami, may I go to bed?"
Atem placed his wrist against Yugi's head, "You're burning up, Yugi. Bakura please help me get Yugi to the lab. I'm going to be in there all day and would prefer it if Yugi was where I can keep an eye on him."
"Sure thing, Temmie," Bakura replied. "Come on, shortstop, let's get going." He lifted the small teen easily. "Ryou, Malik, you two need to be checked as well. You were drenched just as bad," he said as he headed to the door.
"But, I don't feel sick," Malik argued.
Ryou sighed, "It's best that you follow him anyways, Mal. He'll come back after laying Yugi down and drag you back if he has to."
"Fine," he huffed. "But your brother's meaner than mine."
"Not really, he doesn't do hug attacks just as a cover for sweets-stealing," Ryou countered as the two followed Bakura.
LINE
It turned out that all three of them had a low fever and were confined to the lab for the day. Atem wasn't sure how this would affect them and wanted to keep them safe in their condition. He looked over at Yugi and smiled at the sight. The three Hikaris were snuggled together as one would expect of siblings. Yugi was in the middle with Ryou on his left and Malik his right.
"Take a picture of that, will ya," Bakura whispered from the doorway. Taking note of the confused look on Atem's face, he added, "Seriously, take the picture. We can submit it to the Hunter's Society for their entry in the Book of Supernaturals: Rare and Unusual Creatures of the Supernatural World."
Atem snapped a quick photo, "I'd rather keep this for our books. I'll get a different one later for the Book."
"Yeah, you're right. Someone might think that we're the ones in the photo," Bakura stated as he watched his brother sleeping. "I'm glad that I've got my brother back. You do know that my parents are planning on stopping by soon?"
Atem looked at him, "Do they know of Ryou and his 'condition'?"
"Not yet, but we'll let them know," he replied, "somehow. I just hope that they accept him for what he is and all he's been through."
"They should. Besides, he's still your brother regardless of what he has become," Atem pointed out. "He still has his innocence, they all do."
"True. True."
"So when are they expected to arrive?"
"Mom said that they were a bit tied up at the moment so maybe in another month or so."
"Does Ryou know?"
Bakura shook his head, "No. I wanted to surprise them at the same time. By the way, Seto said something about some Watcher and his slayer coming in sometime soon. They're going to need a place to stay for a while."
"Their secret's going to be even harder to keep with a slayer-in-training. I just hope that no one goes after our family while they're under our roof."
Ishizu entered the room and gently woke the Hikaris one at a time to give them some medicine that she had on hand for the team when they were ill. She didn't have to give Ryou and Malik much as they weren't as feverish as Yugi. They curled back up and fell asleep once more after taking the syrup. She looked at the two males, "Ryou and Malik should be up and about later, but Yugi needs more rest. His temp was still a bit high for him."
She left the room and Bakura followed after stating that he was going to take over the cooking for dinner. Tristan peeked into the room about an hour after Bakura's departure, "So how are they?"
"A bit better," Atem replied. "I'm about to ask Atemu if he could watch over them for an hour or so. I need to check in with Seto." Tristan left to go ask Atemu to go to the lab.
Just then Ryou and Malik woke up. "Atem, I believe my arm is numb," Ryou quietly called out. "Do you think it possible to move Yugi so that I can free it?"
Malik snickered, "Got you pinned again, didn't he?" As he said this, Yugi kicked in his sleep, hitting Malik in the shin. Malik glared at the sleeping Hikari. "Not funny," he muttered as it was Ryou's turn to snicker.
Atem freed Ryou's hand and dismissed the pair after deeming them fever-free. He pulled a light blanket over the still sleeping hybrid. Atemu entered the lab, "Tristan informed me that you were in need of someone to watch over Yugi while you stepped out for a while."
LINE
Shortly after Atem returned, Yugi was awake and was challenged by Odion to a round of chess. Atemu watched as the pair played the strategy game in the lab. "Good move, Yugi," Odion stated as Yugi captured his rook with a bishop. "This is the best game I've played in years."
Yugi nodded, "I know what you mean. Ryou and Malik won't play against me much anymore. Malik says it's because I won too much when we were living on the streets."
Atem cleared his throat, "Yugi, have you been beating poor Sam at chess?"
Yugi jumped at his brother's voice, "Yami! That's not funny!"
"But it was," Atem countered. "After this game, I need to check you over."
LINE
The next day found Malik as the bait as his animal form was much more fragile than Yugi's or Ryou's. But he was not the weakest physically. Yugi and Ryou Shifted just out of sight of everyone and crouched in the bushes, ready to spring as a moment's notice.
Moments later, a form dropped from the tree behind Malik, "Well, looks like I get a tenderfoot for dinner."
Malik dropped his book signaling that the vamp took the bait. Yugi leapt from his bush as Ryou followed suit. Ryou clamped onto the vamp's leg as Yugi quickly climbed the nearest tree, letting Ryou handle it so that Malik could get away and Shift. After a few seconds, Yugi dropped from the branch just over the vampire and struck its back with his claws. Malik's falcon form flew at his would-be attacker, talons out to scratch its face.
"Fall back and let it chase you toward us," Atem's voice stated over the special earphones that Bakura and Marik invented just for them.
*Got it Yami. Guys, you heard Yami, let's do it!*
The three ran/flew towards the meeting place with an enraged bloodsucker on their heels/tail feathers. The three animals brushed past them and collapsed into a pile of blankets that the team kept on hand for emergencies. The vampire was an easy catch as its energy had been divided between hunting, fighting, healing, and chasing after the three.
"Remind me that biting a Supernatural on the leg is a bad idea. That one tasted horrid," Ryou complained.
Yugi nodded panting, "You think that was bad, try jumping out of a tree and onto a moving target's back. But that last stunt was awesome, Mal."
"Thanks," Malik wheezed. "I couldn't think of anything else. But next time, Yugi, you're the bait!"
They fell back into the pile of blankets in unison as Atem climbed in. Yugi raised his hand, "Yami, you owe us for that one! That vamp was at least a level 7 at the rate it was healing. You know that we're only supposed to go on level 4 or lower Hunts. It's in the rules." He allowed his arm to fall.
Atem chuckled, "Actually he was a level 10. Raiden was a level 20 vampire and was taken down with your help."
"Yugi," Malik panted, rolling his eyes, "I think that your brother has turned on us."
LINE
When they returned to the mansion, Ishizu got on Atem's case for having the hikaris trap a level 10 vampire. "You could have gotten them killed," she scolded him. "I don't want to lose Malik a second time! Next time inform them before sending them out like that!"
Atem set his notes aside, "I haven't told anyone this yet but they, as hikaris, fall nowhere on the level charts. I know that the level grading only goes to 20, but they far exceed this scaling. I want no one to find this out yet, so what we discuss in here remains in here."
LINE
Dartz was in his chambers waiting to hear from his Tracker. One of his guards had informed him that Shai's Shadows had been spotted making their way towards the castle. Shai was one of the few that Dartz allowed in his innermost rooms easily. Besides, it was not as though he could prevent shadows from going where they pleased. "Master, I have returned," Shai's voice stated from the shadows.
"You may show yourself, Shai," Dartz called out. "Tell me what you have discovered."
Shai's shadowy form took shape and his glowing yellow eyes opened, "I have discovered Lord Takeshi's killers. I believe that there are three amongst them that the group gravitates toward. They appear to be the youngest and the most appropriate targets for your revenge, Master."
"Very good, Shai," Dartz commended his Tracker. "I want you to target the three that you say are the center of this band of Hunters responsible for my brother's death. Turn them or bring them to me. If you can't, then kill them in front those Hunters. But get the one that their leader is closest to first. It will devastate them and allow you to pick off the other two."
Shai bowed, "As you command, Master. I will return to my duties."
Shai vanished and Dartz sat down. He motioned to his personal guard for one of them to bring him his 'meal'. While he waited, he smirked, 'I do hope that he can bring the three he spoke of. I could use more trackers like him.'
LINE
Yugi was sitting in the library when Atem entered the room, "Yugi, I'm leaving for a week or so. It's my turn for a short break and I'm going to my father's for that time. Would you like to come?"
Yugi sat his book aside and nodded, "Sure, Yami. When do we leave and what do I need to take?"
"Just the essentials and we leave today. It'll be a day's drive to get there," Atem stated, "so you'll need something to so along the way. I'll sneak a pint into the hidden compartment of your cooler."
Yugi nodded and darted from the room in excitement. He was finally getting to spend some time alone with his older twin. He ran into his room and pulled out an overnight bag and dumped its contents onto his bed. Going through his clothes, Yugi picked out a few pairs of jeans, a few sweaters, five shirts, some nightclothes, clean underclothes for the week, and some of his choker-collars that the team had given him as a late birthday present. He threw the pack onto his back and met Atem in the hallway, "Ready Yami. Is Atemu going to come too?"
Atem shook his head, "He's going to stay here with the team and help on Hunts. Besides, my dad has so many wards on his place, Atemu won't be able to avoid detection as easily at the moment. Plus, he knows the history of certain vampires and our ancestors are among those he knows of."
"Oh," Yugi's face fell, "I was hoping that Atemu could come with us. Will your dad accept me with my condition?"
"I hope so Yugi," Atem whispered as he hugged his brother to him. "I hope so." He resolved then and there, that if his adoptive father didn't accept Yugi and threatened the Hikari, he would pack up and leave immediately, cutting off all communication with the man.
LINE
"My legs were falling asleep, Yami," Yugi complained as they got out of the car for a quick meal at a rest stop.
Atem grinned at the smaller male, "I guess now was a good time to stop for lunch, huh Yugi?"
The two brothers ate a light meal and waited for their check. "So how is your training with Atemu coming along," Atem asked his brother.
Yugi beamed, "Pretty good. I managed to start the Shadow-Wraith change and reverse it on my own. I can even think clearly and remember everything while in Shadow-mode. Atemu said that it would give us an advantage when we face off against high level Supernaturals. So what's your dad like?"
"He's a bit rough at times, but he's a pretty good guy," he replied. "He's the reason I decided to start a team of Hunters, my team are friends that I grew up with, and create a base of operations in one place. Most Hunters work alone, but I decided to break 'tradition'. Too many good Hunters die because they 'work alone'. But Dad said that my idea would likely be the start of a newer method as many Supernaturals never know how to handle larger groups of Hunter teams."
"So are there any other Hunters that you grew up with? Ones that we haven't met yet," Yugi asked him.
Atem nodded, "Yeah, but I didn't really spend time with them. I mostly kept to my room or hung out with my friends when they were over. If luck is on our side, we may not see them for some time. Dad says they only go there after serious Hunts."
"Ok. I'd better use the restroom before we leave here. I drank too much soda," Yugi stated as he slid from the booth.
Atem tossed a few bills on the table, "I'll go with you and then we can pick out a few snacks for the road."
LINE
Atem took a glance at his sleeping brother and couldn't help but smile at the sight. Yugi had leaned against the passenger side door and was using his arm as a pillow. The Hikari was exhausted from the long day and the extensive training that their ancestor had him doing recently. Yugi had gotten cold along the way and had pulled on Atem's black hooded sweater. He slid the car into an empty spot and put it in park. Before getting out, he undid the belt holding Yugi in place. As Atem went around the car, the front door of the house opened, "You're late boy."
"I know Dad, but I needed to make a few stops along the way. I have someone with me this time," Atem stated.
The man's eyes narrowed, "You haven't been here in forever, Atem."
"A lot's come up lately and I had to allow my team their time off before I could come," Atem replied as he carefully opened Yugi's door.
The man looked at the sleeping form that Atem carefully pulled from the car, "Who's that kid?"
"This is Yugi Mutou," Atem stated. "He wanted to come with me."
Said male sighed and curled into the warmth that Atem provided and mumbled, "Yami, cold."
"Let's get the kid inside and in bed. You need to get to bed as well. We can catch up in the morning," the man stated.
Atem nodded, "Thanks Dad."
*^*^*^Chapter End^*^*^*
Yugi: I wonder who Yami's dad is.
Yami: I'm just concerned with how he will treat you after he finds out our secret.
Don't worry, Yami. He can't kill Yugi or you without having to hunt down Atemu as well. Remember?
Yugi: *?*
I'll remind you later if you can't remember.
Yugi: Until next time.